The Eagles encounter a special gift along a path- someone has scattered white stones on the gravel. It is fascinating to watch many of our Eagle children quickly pounce on the stones and begin to collect the stones for themselves. More to come on this topic in future documentation!

With some discussion, children begin to create designs with the stones. This is a ‘snail’.

Hannah and Nell decide to leave the stones and play ‘house. They are sleeping in their beds.

Some Eagles work together to make one long line. Heidi, Kate and I are so intrigued by this work, we will definitely be capturing our observations and thoughts in another form of documentation.

Is it a mouse? A rat? A slug? A raccoon? These were some of the guesses that are offered as we watch something moving under the soil and the weed fabric.

Ayleen is cautious about crossing the ditch. She waits for a long while, hoping a hand will reach out to pull her up. Kate and I stand by, watching and encouraging her to try by herself. Finally, with only a small hand support from Kate, she does it! How will this confidence affect her in other areas, physically and emotionally?

Tyler, Mason and Ian are investigating clover; they ask before they pick, a Nature School rule!

Miles is our ‘soap manager’ for this hand washing session. We encourage children to take on new roles and see themselves as responsible and capable. The more they can do as a group, the better community they make for themselves.

After asking if it is safe, Esuh picks dandelion leaves and keeps them until he is in the Cottage. Here he is having his first taste. We are so fortunate our land has so many offerings. The lowly dandelion is actually quite the gem!

This is an exciting day as we find a branch and the children offer theories of where it came from and how it came to have fallen off. We are impressed with their ideas and knowledge.

Parents volunteer to move wood chips to our garden pathways. I think they find this ‘new to them’ kind of work invigorating because they come back for a second day! Thanks!

More help in the garden thanks to Ken’s dad for finding the time to make this happen in his day.

Nicole and Zoe find themselves in awe of Mile’s athleticism. Miles is finding a new way to jump over this ditch.

Ella excitedly identifies Mountain Ash Berry, something she has been learning in her small group work. She is finding new knowledge and the ability to use it in the real world.

Mason D, Mason S and Andy find something that captivates their attention. They find themselves wondering what it is, maybe a “secret pipe” says Andy.

Heidi teaches the Eagles class a new game to play the next day with our buddies. Heidi wonders if this game will work and she finds that the children understand the concept and are able to play. She finds that they are ready for games with rules. Now she will search to find other age appropriate games.

Kaya and Ella find themselves perched on this rock, beginning to develop a new friendship. They find that they must use the crevices in the rock to use as support as they lift up their leg. They find they must utilize their arm strength to hoist themselves up to the top.

Mason D holds the tap down for Brianna so she can wash her hands. He finds that he can be a helper in the class, even though he is on the younger side of the group. Brianna finds that her classmates are helpful and caring.

Owen, Maliya, Abby and Cyrus find themselves exploring in the tall grasses. They find the grass “tickly” and “pointy”. They find that even though it is tall and there are no pathways, their own bodies can make a path.

The Owls find a way to sit comfortably and draw what they see in front of them. They search to find what they want to focus on- the water, an airplane, the buildings across the water or the beautiful mountains in the distance.

Avery finds ways to attach the rope to the tree. She finds that it is too loose and falls down to the base of the trunk. Will she find a new way to secure the rope?

Finding new things to bring in to provoke the children’s thinking and imagination is always in Kate’s mind. Here she is showing Hayden and the other Owl group brussels sprouts on a stalk, something they have likely not seen before.

Hannah finds this tree “so cute” and proceeds to kiss it. She is finding herself connecting with nature in an intimate way.

The Owls find themselves waiting for the rest of the group. Learning to wait is hard… really hard… but we are a team and a team sticks together! They find they are discovering what it means to look out for one another.

Thea and Rafe find that if they squeeze the pipette then liquid is captured in the tube. and then can be released. They find if they mix all the colours, the tones and shades begin to blend together.

Jason and Lorraine play with water and turtles. They find that if they cover up the turtles with rocks, they can play a fun game together. They find ways to take turns in the tub, respecting each other’s turn.

Zoya and Maliya find themselves beside each other, both exploring in their own way. They find they prefer to work in silence and independent of each other at this time.

Brianna and her friends are learning how to walk through areas with dense forest without getting branches in their eyes.

The new Owls find the remnants of a bridge built by the children last year. Avery relies on Kate for support as she crosses the gap. Balancing on a thin branch requires great concentration and control. What will Avery’s next experience on this bridge be?

Nathan and Zoe take on the responsibility of laying out the tarp for snack. Figuring out how far to pull on each end in order to make it flat- this is not easy!

Alison finds bark and decides it is the perfect camera. She asks me to pose for a photograph. Isn’t this absolutely marvellous? What attribute make Alison relate this to a camera- the rectangular shape? The small hole in the bark as a viewer? So creative!

Nika is getting ready to pick grass to put into her bucket but she is more interested in the play going on in front of her. Watching others play is important for children’s development as they analyze the social information that they are observing through others.

Usually birthdays are celebrated outside but with the rainy start to the day we decided to enjoy Kaya’s birthday song indoors. Honouring birthdays with a unique song, candle and baby picture is part of our TNNS ritual.

Sensing we need a rest from walking, Kate captivates the children’s attention with a story called “Mud Puddle” by Robert Munsch. Oral storytelling has high learning value as it weaves together history, imagination and develops community.

Tricia helps Keaton  put on her heavy knapsack. This simple gesture is so lovely as it speaks to Tricia’s ability to respond to Keaton’s needs at that moment and helps to develop relationship. As educators, we are constantly searching for ways to connect with children and find what makes them happy.

This small Eagle group notices the lean- to from last week and collectively make a plan to try to make it ‘bigger’. However, this work did not take place and they moved on to pretend play in another shelter. It is interesting to watch children as they flow in and out of play; what motivates them to continue on a certain thread or to let it dissolve?

Making scalloped potatoes with spuds from our garden!

I am teaching the children how to make a roux to make a béchamel sauce. Introducing children to new words and concepts is important. The belief that children are capable learners is inherent in everything we do here at Nature School. Will they remember some of these steps next time they want to make mac n’ cheese or these potatoes again?

Decadent and delicious! Most children enjoyed the recipe.

Brianna and Alison enjoy a cup of tea together. Dressing up and pretending real life experiences help children to understand the world around them.

Ludwig quietly figures out how to loop the string around the nails to form a pattern. This activity develops fine motor skills and invites thinking about mathematical foundations, as he begins to understand shapes and design.

Using what is available to us, the Owls plunk down on the pathway and make ‘snow’ angels! Who needs snow anyway?

Enjoying a simple art project, The Owls are focused on their work. Open ended art leads to experimentation and creativity. Some children are more interested in the glue itself while others gravitate towards creating a design out of the seeds.

Misuzu, our awesome volunteer in the Eagles class, shares her ukulele with the class. We all enjoy a sing along as we eat snack. Thanks Misuzu!

Ty and Damain work together to complete this challenging puzzle. They have found a balance between themselves, learning how to give and take.

The Eagles develop many theories about the holes they notice. One guess was a rat, one guess an airplane ( which was quickly dismissed by the others), another guess a rhino and yet another, a rabbit. By not giving answers to all their questions, we allow space for children to wonder and develop their own theories.

Look closely and you shall find new things. Owen discovers a small little bridge that we have never seen before. Soon, many children want to try this new path.

Ashton starts the puzzle and is soon joined by the others. They quickly see value in working in a team.

The Owls paint various found berries and leaves at the Healing Garden.

Nicole hauls wood chips from the pile to the garden pathways. Maneuvering a wheel barrow is tricky work!

Safety on the land is of utmost importance and we spend a lot of time in the beginning of the year discussing safety. Here, Kate is speaking to the Eagle group about eating berries.

Kale, kale, kale- we have lots in our garden so we make a kale salad. We all taste a leaf to check for seasoning, which they determine is “just right”.

Annabelle is curious about the window blocks. This particular one has small bird feathers. Placing interesting objects around the room creates curiosity and wonder. What is Annabellle thinking when she peers inside?

A beautiful moment between Nicole and Damon. Damon is hesitant about going into the field and Nicole is gently supporting his transition over to the grasses.

Andy and Ian enjoy working with play dough and sticks. They share their creations and stories with each other. Ian created these mounds several times this week- it is interesting to watch children re-create the same idea repeatedly. What about this structure is important to Ian?

The Owls group is invited to paint our fall crops. ” Still Life” paintings develop observation skills and promote discussion.

Zoya discovers that if too much paint is put on one area, the paper rips! She enjoys watching the colours mix and is learning how to control her brush.

From our garden.

William and Will (this is not a typo!) concentrate as they try to balance the bean bags on top of their heads while walking. Balancing games such as these promote focus, motor coordination and body awareness.

Conor, Esuh and Finn become confident and walk “even faster”!

Emily shows her small group a stem from a wheat plant. They see where the wheat kernel comes from, how it grows and soon, how it can be processed.

Andy discovers this lean- to shelter made by the older children in our Beyond 4 Walls class. Forts are so captivating- somehow one feels like something special is going on in there.

Ayleen looks on with interest as Connor announces he has discovered a log ‘filled with bugs”. Connor’s gentle instincts are much appreciated as we teach children to be respectful and kind to all living things.

In the corner of this photograph, you can see Nicholas pointing to the mushroom patch. He navigates us to this area as he remembers coming here with his grandparent; this is amazing! We enjoy looking at the mushrooms but our rule at Nature School is we never, EVER, touch or taste a mushroom.

A fallen log provides a perfect balance beam for Araceli. She falls off several times but perseveres through the challenge.

Kate’s small group collected berries, mashed them and used them as paint earlier in the week. Luckily, there was some left over so all the Eagles had a chance to paint with this unique mixture!

Owen shows off a purple potato. As Owen says “They are tricky to find”.

Only one of many potatoes harvests.

It is a tight squeeze in this garden space. Learning to work together in a small space is challenging, especially with soil and trowels!

Damian is trying to carefully back up, without stepping on his friends, the potatoes or the garden edging; this is good work for developing coordination and balance. Ezra reaches out, inviting Damian to pass the potato to him.

First stop on the potato list- mashed potatoes! Working in small groups allows for quiet work and an opportunity to share information. Children learn the names of ingredients, their smell and taste and then practice their fine motor skills.

Alisha and Bianca enjoy digging in the garden with Hannah as they listen intently to her stories!

Sheena and Nell spend time getting to know one another while weeding the beds. Weeding is tricky work, deciphering newly growing vegetables can be a challenge.

Tess and Ella turn soil looking for worms. It is often easier to talk to a new person when we have a task. The coming together of different generations is so valuable.

Sensing Ian’s slight hesitation about jumping into this activity, Tim kindly guides Ian and Mason into digging in the soil. His gentle and respectful way supported our Nature School friends through their shyness.

Kimee gives Tyler a High 5 for working together. As we know, positive feedback is so important for healthy emotional development. The simple gesture of a High 5 sends an important message that leads to self-confidence.

Kaya, Damon and Amanda harvest kale to make a salad for lunch. Amanda spends time discussing the different types of kale and laughs at the Nature School children’s adorable tales!

Clayton takes this ‘teachable moment’ very seriously as he imparts lots and lots of knowledge to the children in his group. From showing his entire knife set to learning about how to make a caesar salad dressing from scratch to black garlic, Clayton makes sure he has it all covered!

Caitlin leads her group with a calm and joyful manner. Upon greeting them, she makes an effort to use their names. This small gesture is much appreciated! It shows caring and thoughtfulness.

The Pizza Crew standing in front of the Cobb oven. Needless to say, the pizzas are scrumptious! 

Andy helps Ludwig up the hill. Giving children an opportunity to be a mentor for others is good for their self- esteem and decision making processes.

The Owl group is beginning to ease into our daily routines, including eating snack outside at the Healing Garden tables.

Miles and Damon help Tyler put his boots back on. Changing gear is lots of work and it is helpful when friends help each other. The pod offers many chances for children to develop their leadership skills.

Elsa and Keaton enjoy what Nature School is about- free time exploring in a a grassy field!

Re-connecting!

Brianna and Ludwig harvest an oddly shaped carrot. Digging vegetables straight from the garden connects them to food in a profound way and makes them more likely to try the vegetable.

The Eagles sit down for their first journalling session. The work is detailed, thoughtful and astute. They take time to notice what is around them in this particular place.

Tyler, Ashton and Mason experiment with the watercolour pencils they used the day before to make their name tags. Allowing multiple opportunities to use the same material opens the door for children to understand a material and its many uses.

Will, Maliya and Nika fill the container for water play. It is quiet while they are doing this job and I wonder if they want to speak to each other but feel too shy. Or are they happy just being beside each other working on this joint task?

Zoe and Ken play with colour mixing and are intrigued by the way the brush sometimes make thin lines and sometimes makes thick lines, depending on how they hold it. Unrushed time at the art table is so important.

Reading signs is a popular activity along our pathways. Hannah and Mason connect for a brief moment while ‘reading’ the words together.

Cutting up the veggies from our garden to make our soup. Cooking and eating together has so many learning outcomes; Nature School kids will cook a lot!

We sing our Eating Together song, a ritual before we eat something we have made in class. We all wait for the entire group to be seated before we commence so we can enjoy our food together.

Discussing and figuring out ways to harvest the apples from this tree. This will be an ongoing study over the next few weeks. Some of this group were here last year and faced the same challenges. I am curious to hear their ideas about how to reach the apples- will they draw on their previous experience?

Two out of many bags of beautiful, organic grains donated to us by Cedar Isle Farms. Check out their amazing work and CSA options on their website!

The Owls gather together on “Mud Flats”.This area has endless possibilities for having fun and learning. It is quite a trek from the Cottage and we are proud of our Owls for having the stamina to get there!

As soon as we arrive and discuss some safety boundaries, everyone quickly becomes immersed in an activity. Some chose to throw sticks, some to build forts, some to look for insects and others to simply observe.

The simple activity of throwing sticks is so much fun. It is because they are usually not allowed to throw them so there is an element of rebellious behaviour?

Calling in the troups! My two friends come to help sew our flags. The children are able to use needles, make stitches and wait patiently when they need help.

Bushwhacking through a trail helps children to learn to look out for dangers, alert their friends what is coming and stay in line.

After both the Eagles and Owls try several different remedies, including the placing of many many band aids on the crack of the injured tree, we are fortunate enough to have a ‘tree doctor’ come to the park to teach us about how to help heal this tree.

Heidi assists Shane, the Arborist, to help put stabilizers on the tree.

A fallen branch from the laurel shrub is brought back to class for investigation. Ryan and Nathan are curious about the leaf shape.

Barry, Rylan’s grandfather, uses his storytelling skills to engage the children in an Aboriginal story.

Olina and her team find one of the 10 clues! Barry does an amazing job of making it fun while incorporating a very educational component.

“Miss Mary Mack” song leads to giggles and fooling around. Tia is doing her best to keep Andy on track with the hand motions but it is tricky work!

The Owls love to climb trees; their confidence is high and they enjoy the challenge. Children that struggled to reach their first branch a few months ago are now easily climbing to the second and third branches.

Over. Under. Around. Slide. Lift up. Swing out. Backwards. Forwards. Hands. No hands.

Elder Henry Charles visits Nature School to celebrate Senior’s Week.

Acting out a First Nations’ story. Children enjoy moving to the drum beat.

Freedom.

Haymie and his mother show the class his photo album filled with delightful baby pictures. We invite our children to show photos of themselves as babies so we can all get a sense of their development from then until now.

Kate shows the children the steps to setting up a worm compost bin. Since most of them are worm loving citizens, this worm bin is highly regarded!

We cannot get enough salad these days. To keep their palates developing, we concoct a new dressing. The children love it and refer to it as ‘the sauce”.

The Eagles play a game called “Hoot,Hoot Owl”, a cooperative game that takes team work to win. There is a lot of learning in a board game-turn taking, numeracy, colour matching and of course, patience.

Talk about loving nature! Wyatt suddenly just states ‘I love the tree” and gives it a kiss. His friends then do the same. Love spreads love!

The Owls taste honey with some comb included. They learn to chew the comb and then politely take it out of their mouth.

Anna-Sophia and Amelia gleefully walk with Tricia. Holding hands while walking is such a natural thing to do that sometimes we forget how lucky we are to connect in this way.

Thomas and Cyrus explore the new herb garden. Peter, a gardener for the City of Richmond, has kindly planted herbs for the children to use. We are so lucky to be in such a tight knit, caring community.

Mason and our volunteer Maria share a special moment investigating a flower. Maria’s instinct to get down to Mason’s eye level is so appropriate and necessary for good communication.

Some Eagles looking closely at tree tunnel. I thought it would be interesting to re-visit this area with our sketch boards as we have not done so for a long time. It is wonderful to see their observation skills develop as well as their fine motor skills. They are now able to translate their ideas in a clearer, more visible way.

Finn inspired us to build a house of straw for the 3 little pigs. (Heidi)

Can everyone fit in the house? (Heidi)

Ty- “I am collecting pollen and nectar for to make honey.” (Heidi)

The children rejoice over a healthy treat of apples – coincidentally they all have them for snack! (Heidi)

For our last day with our buddies from Quilchena Elementary, we draw pictures for each other and frame them with sticks and twine. The day is filled with laughter, conversation and that happy- sad feeling you get when you enjoy something a lot but then it ends.

The Eagles write a letter to Max, who moved to another province a few months ago. We mail the letter and discuss a little about how the mailing system works. The children pretend to have their own mailing box and Kate, Heidi and I think it might be fun to set up a mailing centre in class. What will they mail?

Olina says “Emily, Emily…. I am growing up green!”

Miles JUMPS across a ditch!

Tia and other Eagles JUMP across the same ditch!

Louie, Adam and Thomas JUMP into playing in the tree fort.

The Owls JUMP into learning a new game called Firekeeper.

Ella JUMPS into being blindfolded for the game.

The Eagles JUMP into learning games with rules.

Nathan and Claire JUMP into making a bridge together and learning how to balance.

The Eagles JUMP into learning a new outdoor game called Drum Stalk.

The Owls JUMP into cooperative building!

Ty, Rylan, Nikolas and Dimitri JUMP into building a haunted castle together and have snack inside.

Nicole JUMPS into drawing a detailed depiction of the characters from the Three Billy Goats Gruff story.

Rylan JUMPS into being a friend to a student teacher from UBC.

Damon and Damian JUMP into trekking through the forest with confidence.

The Owls JUMP into pretend play as they make a campfire for roasting marshmallows.

Wyatt and Ezra JUMP into an imaginary world of animals and monsters.

Hannah and Shantelle JUMP into trusting each other during a game.

The Owls JUMP (literally) onto Heidi showing signs of friendship and adoration!

Valarie and Nell JUMP into pretending the blades of grass are umbrellas.

The Eagles JUMP into the challenge of balancing on one plank together.

The Eagles head out to the dyke to clean up unwanted debris. Children learned about what can make animals and water sick.

We want to bring this back to school but are challenged with space to carry it. Perhaps the next week we can bring an empty wagon to continue our clean up.

Patting ourselves on the back for our clean up work, the Eagles display the bucket of garbage collected on the shore.

Bees are out foraging around the gardens which makes for a perfect opportunity to learn about these wonderfully intelligent insects! Many children are enamoured with the honey bee, as am I, so we begin to learn about the life cycle of the bee and life in the hive. Another Earth Day gift!

Olina is the ‘teacher’ and Kaya and Nicole are her students. The day is rainy and stormy so a cozy blanket feels ever so good! Children often enjoy playing ‘school’. Interestingly it often seems to be re-acted with stories or circle time. I wonder if this is what they think is actually the learning part of their day from an adult perspective?

This small group loves stories so we are having fun acting out “The Three Billy Goats Gruff”. Purely accidentally, we find ourselves at the bridge we made long ago- a perfect set for this storyline. The children all take turns in different roles. The ending changes as the group offers creative solutions. Where will the story go this week?

Observing our mason bee tubes is an important ritual at this time of year. As educators, it is vital that we allow for multiple opportunities to observe the same thing over and over, whether it be mason bees, flowers, or landscape. it is only though these careful and repeated observations that children can notice the subtle changes of the world around.

Next to the mason bee tubes, lands this leatherjacket. The leatherjacket is fascinating to us and in its stillness, allows for us to really look at its body parts. Perhaps this interest will carry though this week? I wonder if the children see this insect in other places will they will identify it as the same insect?

Playing a game called “Firekeeper” inside our classroom makes for a lot of laughter and excitement. The children are enjoying games with rules; learning how to listen to the instructions and follow through is a natural developmental stage for many children.

The Owls plant nasturtiums for Earth Day. Worms always seem to take the spotlight though!

Sweetness

Ella excitedly points at a spider or other crawling insect ( not really sure). Alex is called over to share in the moment. Often, but certainly not always, moments are enhanced by sharing it with others.

The Owls use their gross motor skills to climb, balance and nimbly move amongst the branches.

Enjoying a quiet moment, Amelia, Katie and Jasmine look closely.

A pile up on Tricia! Children and teachers enjoy being close to teach other, both physically and emotionally.